But it would still affect computers that did not have their software updated.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, for one, said his country had nothing to do with the attack.

Instead Putin blasted the NSA for developing the original code used in the attack, calling it an example of what happens when “a genie (is) let out of a bottle and then (turns on) its authors and creators.”

The spread ended when a Michigan researcher discovered a kill switch in the malware and shared the information with a British counterpart who had stopped the attack by registering a domain name.

Researchers warn, however, that the malware could be quickly re-written to avoid the fixes currently in place and still infect computers that have not had software patched or upgraded.

Ransomware is nothing new.

In just one example, last year officials with the Lansing Board of Water and Light revealed they paid hackers $25,000 to unlock its communications system.

Experts say the best defense against ransomware is to ensure a computer has strong spam filters and anti-virus programs, that all upgrades and patches are current, and that all data is backed up regularly.

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